OKLAHOMA CITY – The top-seeded No. 9 MACU Men's Soccer team has its sights set on its fifth-straight Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament title on Tuesday night, but the Evangels will have to go through a crosstown rival in order to achieve as MACU will face off against third-seeded Oklahoma City at 5:30 p.m. at the Dill Soccer Field.
 
SEASON REPORT

• Record: 14-1-4
• Last Match: Won vs. Wayland Baptist (Texas) – 3-0 – Nov. 9, 2024 – Dill Soccer Field (SAC Semifinal)
• Top Performers:
  • Enzo Nogue – SR – F/M/D
    • 9 Goals, 5 Assists, 23 Points, 21 Shots, 15 SOG, 3 GWG
  • Federico Palacios – SO – F
    • 5 Goals, 3 Assists, 13 Points, 23 Shots, 13 SOG, 1 GWG
  • Pietro Musso – SR – F
    • 3 Goals, 3 Assists, 9 Points, 25 Shots, 11 SOG, 2 GWG
  • Claudio Fuentealba – SR – GK
    • 12-1-3 W-L, 0.64 GAA, 31 Saves, .756 SV%, 6 SHO, 3 CBO
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian put together one of its most comprehensive performances of the season in its 3-0 SAC Semifinal victory over fifth-seeded Wayland Baptist on Saturday. In the win, Francois Geris-Rey netted his first goal of the season with a sensational long-distance strike into the top right corner in the 25^th minute to prove to be the game-winner.
  • Even though the Pioneers were able to hang around for most of the contest, MACU's clamp-down, pressing defense was able to constantly dispossess the WBU, limiting it to only five shots for the entire contest with the only shot on-goal being a relatively easy save for MACU goalkeeper Claudio Fuentealba.
  • Despite coming into the match with only one career goal through his first three seasons at MACU, redshirt sophomore midfielder Akira Ono put together the night to remember as he earned his first career brace by netting goals in the 75^th and 79^th minutes to allow the Evangels to run away with the 3-0 win.
  • Competing in the program's fifth-consecutive SAC Tournament Championship game, Mid-America Christian's improbable run has displayed a downright dominant display on the defensive end as MACU in the last 14 SAC tourney games has pitched 11 shutouts and allowed just one goal in the other three contests.

SCOUTING REPORT
(RV) Oklahoma City

• Record: 12-1-4
• Last Match: Tied at (RV) John Brown – 2-2 (Adv. 8-7 in PKs) – Nov. 9, 2024 – Siloam Springs, Ark.
• Series vs MACU (2007-): OCU leads 11-5-4
• Last Match vs MACU: MACU won 2-0 – Oct. 15, 2024 – Dill Soccer Field
• Series Streak: MACU won 2
• Players to Watch:
  • David Imbert – SR – M
    • 12 Goals, 11 Assists, 35 Points, 43 Shots, 25 SOG, 2 GWG
  • Marco Alongi – SR – F
    • 15 Goals, 4 Assists, 34 Points, 45 Shots, 27 SOG, 5 GWG
  • Thomas Brulay – SR – M
    • 5 Goals, 10 Assists, 20 Points, 24 Shots, 9 SOG, 1 GWG
  • Alexis Bertrand – JR – GK
    • 12-1-4 W-L, 0.76 GAA, 38 Saves, .745 SV%, 6 SHO, 1 CBO
• Team Notes:
  • After getting a dominant win over Southwestern Christian in the SAC Quarterfinal, Oklahoma City had to overcome some improbable odds in the Semifinal match at second-seeded John Brown on Saturday. After the team's top point scorer David Imbert scored the go-ahead goal in the 55^th minute, the senior mid was issued his second yellow in the 60^th minute, converting to an automatic red card and forcing the Stars to play down a man for the rest of the match.
  • John Brown took advantage of the man advantage, netting the game-tying and go-ahead goals in the 71^st and 73^rd minutes to put the Stars against the ropes. With time winding down, Ruben Fahiya put across an improbable strong strike with 61 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.
  • After battling through two scoreless 10-minute overtime sessions, the result came down to a penalty kick shootout for the ages. The Stars managed to put through eight of their first nine pens through as Jayson Riley put OCU in-front 8-7 before JBU's Amaury Jarry stepped to the spot and accidently placed his shot wide of goal to allow the Star to advance to the title tilt.
  • Despite making it to the title tilt, the Stars will need to overcome being without one of its top players in David Imbert in the match. After getting issued his second yellow-red card in the match against the Golden Eagles, the star striker will be suspended from competing in the Championship match.
  • Tuesday night's contest will mark the second time the two squads will square off at the Dill Soccer Field this season. The two squads met in a stellar defensive slugfest back on Oct. 15 as neither side managed to get double-digit shots off or more than three shots on-goal. However, MACU was able to take advantage of its limited opportunities late as Ian Cupee headed in the game-winning goal in the 78^th minute before Pietro Musso added an insurance goal in the 89^th minute to seal the 2-0 victory.